European Music Contest 7
}} ◄ #6 }}} }European Music Contest 8|#8 ► - |} European Music Contest 7, often referred to as EMC 7, is the 7th edition of European Music Contest. The contest took place in the city of Yerevan, Armenia, after Aram MP3 won the previous contest hosted in Malmö, Sweden with the song "Not Alone". The venue for the contest was announced on March 22, 2014, as Karen Demirchyan Complex. European Music Contest 7 will see 26 countries in the Grand Final, and two semifinals. The semifinals will see all countries that don't finished top 6 last year Location Yerevan is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and industrial center of the country. It has been the capital since 1918, the thirteenth in the history of Armenia. The history of Yerevan dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress of Erebuni in 782 BC by king Argishti I at the western extreme of the Ararat plain.5 Erebuni was "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital." After World War I, Yerevan became the capital of the First Republic of Armenia as thousands of survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled in the area. The city expanded rapidly during the 20th century as Armenia became part of the Soviet Union. In a few decades, Yerevan was transformed from a provincial town within the Russian Empire, to Armenia's principal cultural, artistic, and industrial center, as well as becoming the seat of national government. With the growth of the economy of the country, Yerevan has been undergoing major transformation as many parts of the city have been the recipient of new construction since the early 2000s, and retail outlets such as restaurants, shops, and street cafes, which were rare during Soviet times, have multiplied. As of the 2011 census, the population of Yerevan is 1,060,138 people, making up to 35.1% of the total population of Armenia. Yerevan was named the 2012 World Book Capital by UNESCO. Venue Officially Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concerts Complex (Armenian: Կարեն Դեմիրճյանի անվան Մարզահամերգային Համալիր), also known as Demirchyan Arena, Sports & Music Complex, or simply Hamalir (for complex in Armenian), is a large sports and concert complex located on Tsitsernakaberd hill which dominates over the western parts of Yerevan, near the Hrazdan River gorge. The complex consists of two main halls; the Concerts hall and the Sports hall, in addition to the large foyer, Hayastan conference hall and Argishti hall designated for diplomatic meetings, exhibitions and other events. Countries Semifinals Semifinal 1 The semifinal was held in Yerevan on March 29. *The 10 countries in the semi-final with the highest scoring points, according to the votes from each voting country, qualifies for the Grand Final. * Armenia (Host), France and Israel voted in this semifinal Semifinal 2 The semifinal was held in Yerevan on March 30. *The 10 countries in the semi-final with the highest scoring points, according to the votes from each voting country, qualifies for the Grand Final. * Austria, Netherlands and Ukraine voted in this semifinal.